Emma's Yucky Brother. (An I Can Read Book). Jean Little. Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. New York, NY: HarperCollins (Distributed in Canada by HarperCollins Canada), 2001. 64 pp., pbk, cl. & lib. bdg., $5.95 (pbk.), $19.95 (cl.), $25.89 (lib. bdg.). ISBN 0-06-444258-6 (pbk.), ISBN 0-06-028348-3 (cl.), ISBN 0-06-028349-1 (lib. bdg.). Subject Headings: Brothers and sisters-Fiction. Adoption-Fiction. Preschool-grade 3 / Ages 4-8. Review by Cora Lee. ***1/2 /4

excerpt:

"You've waited forever," said Sally.

"Max is worth it," Emma said.

"Having a brother will be great!"

"Maybe," said Sally.

"Brothers are great sometimes. But brothers are pests, too."

"You will see, Sally," said Emma. "Max will be the best brother ever!"

Adoption is a topic so fraught with complicated emotions and impossible expectations all around -- how could this minefield of a topic possibly be captured in one small book, for beginner readers yet, only 64 pages of widely-spaced lines made up of words of six letters or less, with pictures on virtually every page?

     With Emma's Yucky Brother, Jean Little accomplishes the ostensibly impossible by focusing on the essentials. Pared down to the basics, the storyline is quite simple: Emma's family is in the process of adopting four-year-old Max, which is great because Emma's always wanted a brother. It's not what she expected though because Max doesn't like her and he's not the sweet little boy she expected. Little makes efficient use of a small number of basic, easy words throughout, juggling them with consummate skill to suit the situation -- her use of the word "pest" is a prime example of the versatility of simple words: "Max sure is a pest," [Emma] said, "but he is the best pest ever." Her dialogues are key for the capture of big emotions: Emma's initial excitement is summed up concisely by the simple sentence, "I can't wait to meet Max!" Upon the conclusion of their first meeting, Emma's appraisal is equally succinct: "I don't like Max. He isn't little. He isn't sweet. He hates my cookies and he likes Sally best." The repetition of key ideas -- Emma's yuckiness and Max's peskiness in particular -- makes a jumble of feelings easy for even the youngest readers to take in. When Max runs away, Emma says, "He is a pest, but he is my brother." Max's acceptance of Emma takes the same form. "Emma isn't yucky. She's my sister." In similar short-and-sweet fashion, Little also uses brief interchanges between Emma and Sally, Emma and her parents to impart information, revealing steps in the adoption process such as the role of the foster parents and gradual visits before the adoption becomes final.

     Jennifer Plecas' accompanying illustrations are simple as well, with honest, open faces always turned out to face the reader. She carries her share of the storytelling well, taking over where too many words would clutter the story. The pictures showing Max's instant liking for Sally -- after he consistently rejects Emma -- are telling.

     And thus does a impressive amount emerge from so little. By brilliantly embracing the principle of simplicity, Emma's Yucky Brother accomplishes two monumental tasks, explaining the concept of adoption and introducing the beginnings of independent reading.

Highly Recommended.

Cora Lee is a Vancouver, BC, writer and editor.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

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